Essex Olympian Football League
{{short description|Association football league in England}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox football league
| image = Eifl.jpg
| country = England
| teams = 91 (six senior divisions)
| feeds = Eastern Counties Football League
| promotion = Eastern Counties Football League Division One South
| levels = 11–17
| founded = 1966
| champions = Rayleigh Town
| season = 2023–24
}}
The Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966–67 season. It has a total of six senior divisions and one under 21 division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System and it is a feeder to Division One South of the Eastern Counties Football League. Between 1986 and 2005, the league was known as the Essex Intermediate League.
Clubs to progress up the pyramid from the league include Billericay Town, Brentwood Town, Bowers United, Sawbridgeworth Town, Burnham Ramblers, Hullbridge Sports and Great Wakering Rovers.
History
In 1966, the Essex Olympian Football League was founded, following a meeting at the Saracens Head pub in Chelmsford. The first league constitution consisted of Basildon & Pitsea, Billericay Town, Bishop's Stortford Swifts, Bowers United, Burnham Ramblers, Collier Row, Dorstel Press, Dunmow, Little Waltham, Old Chelmsfordians and Sawbridgeworth, with Burnham Ramblers winning the first edition of the Essex Olympian League, finishing four points above Little Waltham.{{cite web |website=Essex Olympian Football League |url=https://eofl.co.uk/club-history/season-1966-67/ |title=Season 1966-67|access-date=4 July 2021}} Little Waltham left the league at the end of the inaugural 1966–67 season, with British Mathews, Critalls, Essex County Council Staff and Manor Athletic all joining to take the constitution up to 16 clubs.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol1968.htm |title=1967-68 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}} In 1981, a Second Division was added with eight clubs (Baddow Royals, Basildon Sports, Caribbean International Sports, Chigwell Villa, Civil Service Olympian, Cossor Sports, Ekco and Rayleigh Athletic) joining the league system.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol1982.htm |title=1981-82 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}}
In 1986, the league was renamed to the Essex Intermediate League,{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esint1987.htm |title=1986-87 Essex Intermediate League|access-date=4 July 2021}} adding a Division Three three years later.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esint1990.htm |title=1989-90 Essex Intermediate League|access-date=4 July 2021}}
In 2005, the league renamed itself back to its original Essex Olympian League name.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol2006.htm|title=2005-06 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}} In 2008, Takeley moved up the pyramid into the Essex Senior League. Before then the Olympian League had not sent a club to the Essex Senior League for over a decade, causing the Essex Senior League to look elsewhere in Essex for new member clubs, including lower leagues and leagues outside the National League System such as the now-defunct Essex Business Houses Football League. Clubs from this league have previously been able to jump straight into the Essex Senior League due to the facilities at which they play, not where they finished in the Essex Business Houses League.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol2008.htm|title=2007-08 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}} The following year, in 2009, a Division Three was added, taking the number of leagues administered by the Essex Olympian League up to four.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol2010.htm|title=2008-09 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}} In 2015, two more leagues were added to the system, being named Division Four and Division Five.{{cite web |website=Football Club Historical Database|url=https://fchd.info/lghist/esol2016.htm|title=2015-16 Essex Olympian League|access-date=4 July 2021}} In 2017, The Football Association announced a step 6 (level 10) division for Essex and East Anglia in the Eastern Counties Football League to start playing in the 2018–19 season, meaning the Essex Olympian League would drop to step 7 in Non-league.{{cite news|title=New Step 6 League|url=https://eofl.co.uk/new-step-6-league/|publisher=Essex Olympian Football League|date=8 October 2017}} In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Football Association announced all leagues from step 3 to 7 on the National League System would be cancelled, with all results being expunged.{{cite web |website=Essex Olympian Football League |url=https://eofl.co.uk/fa-notice-regarding-season-2019-2020/ |title=FA Statement Regarding Season 2019-2020|date=26 March 2020|access-date=4 July 2021}} In November 2020, the Essex Olympian League was suspended, owing to a second wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |website=Essex Olympian Football League |url=https://eofl.co.uk/06-11-2020-fa-covid-19-update/|title=06-11-2020 FA COVID-19 UPDATE|date=8 November 2020|access-date=4 July 2021}} The league was eventually resumed in April 2021, becoming one of the only leagues in England to resume play after the suspension in November 2020. Buckhurst Hill were promoted at the end of the 2020–21 season, after winning the Premier Division, gaining promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One South.{{cite web |website=Essex Olympian Football League |url=https://eofl.co.uk/promotion-at-end-of-may-to-go-ahead/|title=Promotion at end of May to Go Ahead|date=16 May 2021|access-date=4 July 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2021-22/nls-5-to-6-club-allocations-2021-22-final.ashx|title=National League System club allocations – steps 5/6, season 2021–22|website=The Football Association|access-date=4 July 2021|format=.pdf}}
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, the Southend Borough & District Combination was merged into the Essex Olympian League, resulting in the creation of two regionalised divisions at Division Four and the return of Division Five.{{Cite tweet |user=SBDFCL |author=Southend Borough & District Combination |number=1802652904924266742|date = 17 June 2024 |title=The final AGM of the @SBDFCL is being held on Friday 28th June 2024, 7:30pm at the Len Forge Centre, Main Hall. By that time you should all have been accepted into the constitution of {{as written|th|e the [sic]}} @eofl and looking forward to a new start for season 24/25. }}
Member clubs (2024–25)
The league has 91 teams spread over seven divisions for the 2024–25 season:
valign=top|Premier Division
|valign=top| Division One
|valign=top| Division Two
|valign=top| Division Three
|valign=top| Division Four North West
|valign=top| Division Four South East
|valign=top| Division Five
|
Past champions
=1966–81=
The league originally consisted of a single section of 13 clubs, reaching a peak of 18 clubs by 1969–70.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |
| Season
!Champions |
|---|
| 1966–67 |
| 1967–68
|Writtle |
| 1968–69 |
| 1969–70 |
| 1970–71 |
| 1971–72 |
| 1972–73
|Chadwell Heath |
| 1973–74
|Chadwell Heath |
| 1974–75
|Chadwell Heath |
| 1975–76
|Essex Police |
| 1976–77
|Collier Row Motor Gear |
| 1977–78
|Runwell Hospital |
| 1978–79 |
| 1979–80
|Essex Police |
| 1980–81 |
=1981–89=
In 1981, a second division was added. The league ran with two divisions for nine years. During this period, the league was renamed the Essex Intermediate League in 1986.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |
| Season
!Division One !Division Two |
|---|
| 1981–82
|Herongate Athletic |Rayleigh Athletic |
| 1982–83
|Herongate Athletic |
| 1983–84
|Essex Police |
| 1984–85
|Shell Club |
| 1985–86
|Essex Police |Cossor Sports |
| 1986–87
|Essex Police |Hambros Bank |
| 1987–88
|Takeley |Standard (Harlow) |
| 1988–89
|Upminster |
=1989–2007=
In 1989, a third division was added. The league reverted to its original name, the Essex Olympian League in 2005.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |
| Season
!Division One !Division Two !Division Three |
|---|
| 1989–90
|Kelvedon Hatch |Great Baddow |
| 1990–91
|Herongate Athletic |
| 1991–92
|Standard (Harlow) |Loughton |
| 1992–93
|Standard (Harlow) |South Woodham Ferrers |Danbury Trafford |
| 1993–94
|Kelvedon Hatch |Ongar Town |
| 1994–95
|Writtle |Sporting Club Henderson |Great Baddow |
| 1995–96
|Kelvedon Hatch |
| 1996–97
|Kelvedon Hatch |Runwell Hospital |Bishop's Stortford Swifts |
| 1997–98
|Danbury Trafford |Bishop's Stortford Swifts |Shell Club |
| 1998–99
|Bishop's Stortford Swifts |Sandon Royals |
| 1999–2000
|Bishop's Stortford Swifts |Nortel (Harlow) |Wanstead Town |
| 2000–01
|Linford Wanderers |
| 2001–02
|Epping |
| 2002–03
|Bishop's Stortford Swifts |Debden Sports |
| 2003–04
|Debden Sports |Faces |
| 2004–05
|Linford Wanderers |
| 2005–06
|Harold Wood Athletic |Ongar Town |
| 2006–07
|Potter Street |
=2007 to date=
In 2007 the divisions were renamed Premier, One and Two.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Season !Premier Division !Division One !Division Two |
| 2007–08
|Potter Street |Linford Wanderers |
| 2008–09
|Harold Wood Athletic |Westhamians |Sungate |
| 2009–10
|Harold Wood Athletic |Romford Reserves |
In 2010 a Division Three was added.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Season !Premier Division !Division One !Division Two !Division Three |
| 2010–11
|Kelvedon Hatch |Springfield |
| 2011–12
|Southminster St. Leonards |Springfield |Old Barkabbeyans |
| 2012–13
|Bishop's Stortford Swifts |Old Barkabbeyans |Debden Sports |
In 2013 an Under 21 Division was added.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Season !Premier Division !Division One !Division Two !Division Three !Under 21 Division |
| 2013–14
|Southminster St Leonards |Newham United |Ongar Town |Rochford Town |Ryan |
| 2014–15
|Harold Wood Athletic |Harold Hill |Catholic United |
In 2015 the two reserve divisions were promoted to senior status and renamed Divisions Four and Five, along with the three higher divisions, leaving just one Under-21 division below that.
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Season !Premier Division !Division One !Division Two !Division Three !Division Four !Division Five !Under 21 Division | ||||||
| 2015–16
|Kelvedon Hatch |Old Chelmsfordians Reserves |Galleywood Reserves | ||||||
| 2016–17
|Springfield |Sungate |May & Baker Eastbrook Reserves |Manford Way Reserves |Basildon Town Reserves |Lakeside | ||||||
| 2017–18
|May & Baker Eastbrook Reserves |Manford Way Reserves |Chingford Athletic |Westhamians |Corinthians | ||||||
| 2018–19
|Shenfield |Chingford Athletic |Old Southendian Reserves |Corinthians |Corinthians Reserves | ||||||
| 2019–20
|Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2020–21
|Ongar Town |Leigh Town |ACD United |Catholic United Reserves |Wakering Sports 'A' | | ||||||
| 2021–22
|Ongar Town |Toby |ACD United |Hashtag United Development |Chingford Athletic Reserves |Bishop's Stortford Swifts Reserves | | ||||||
| 2022–23
|Old Chelmsfordians |Shoebury Town |Basildon Town Reserves |Leigh Ramblers Reserves |Manford Way Reserves | | ||||||
| 2023–24
|Wakering Sports |Basildon Town Reserves |Runwell Sports Reserves |Toby Reserves | | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.eofl.co.uk/}}
{{Football in England table cells}}
Category:1966 establishments in England